Packaging unit comprising a bottle carrier and bottles

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides a packaging unit ( 1 ) comprising bottles ( 3 ) and a bottle carrier ( 2 ), which can also be stacked safely in case of a plurality of packaging units ( 1 ). Furthermore, packaging units are provided, which comprise an opening aid for screw caps and a quality control means.

The present invention relates to a packaging unit comprising a bottle carrier and at least two bottles according to the preamble of the patent claims 1, 9, 13, 16, and 20.

For transporting bottles, in particular beverage bottles, various packaging units have become customary in the past. For example, on the one hand, a packaging unit is typical, which comprises beverage bottles, which are received in a rigid bottle case. In order to improve handling, bottle cases are also used, which are provided divisible, so that the packaging unit can be divided in two components of equal size and can be carried with both hands. Also known are packaging units made of a few bottles, e.g. six to ten bottles, which are received hanging in a bottle carrier, which is formed from a carrier body and a carrier handle, disposed thereon. By means of this packaging unit suggested in WO 2004/076310, in which the bottles are disposed hanging in the carrier body in the portion of their necks, all bottles can be lifted simultaneously by means of the carrier bar and transported.

An improved packaging unit is described in DE 20 2005 016 091, in which the bottle carrier comprises a carrier bar, which is integrally connected to the carrier body by film hinge connections in a manner, so it can be folded out and folded back in. Thus, simple and comfortable handling and a good and stable stacking of several packaging units is facilitated. In particular such a packaging unit can be manufactured cost effectively in spite of its stable and robust construction, wherein a bottle carrier made of polyethylene, in particular a polyethylene regenerate, is economically advantageous in particular.

Though this known packaging unit has considerable economic advantages, compared to known packaging units, there are applications, where it cannot be used in an optimum manner yet.

Thus, in the above designated packaging unit, the bottles are received in the bottle carrier, so they are safe against unintentional removal, however, the bottles can be deflected along their longitudinal axis thus from the vertical, so that when stacking several packaging units on top of each other, an unintentional release of bottles from the bottle carrier is possible by deflecting particular bottles from the vertical and lever effects are caused by the force acting upon them due to the stacked packaging units, wherein said lever forces cause leveraging this bottle out of the receiver and the bottle carrier.

Furthermore, the PET beverage bottles are typically closed by a screw cap and comprise a circumferential ring as a quality seal, which at least partially disengages from the screw cap after the first opening, thus documenting the opening process in a unique manner. Different from the crown caps, which can be opened by an upward lever effect, such screw caps can only be opened by a rotating movement of the cap relative to the bottle. This movement, however, can be made more difficult through multiple influences, so that under certain conditions, opening the bottle is not possible for the user, or not possible in a simple manner. For example, opening the screw cap becomes more difficult, when the hand gripping the cap, or the cap itself are not completely dry, or when the user is not capable to impart a sufficiently large torque onto the screw cap.

Last not least, it is not possible so far with the packaging unit described above, to assure that a voluntary or also involuntary removal of single bottles and the subsequent refilling of the packaging unit with single bottles is indicated to the user, so that so far no quality guarantee with respect to the contents of the packaging unit can be given to the user.

In a first embodiment, it is the object of the present invention to provide a packaging unit by which a safe stacking of particular packaging units is facilitated. In another aspect of the present invention, it is the object to provide a packaging unit, which enables the user to disengage the screw caps of the bottles directly within the packaging unit, wherein the packaging unit can still be manufactured in a simple and cost effective manner. Eventually, it is the object of the present invention according to a last embodiment to provide a packaging unit, which indicates the removal of single bottles of a packaging unit in a unique manner.

These objects are accomplished by the packaging units according to the claims 1, 7, 11, 14, and 18. The dependent claims respectively provide advantageous embodiments of these objects.

By means of the packaging unit according to the first aspect of the invention, the received bottles are prevented from being deflected from the packaging unit along their longitudinal axes. Thereby, it is assured that also in case of a vertical loading of the packaging unit, particular bottles are not disengaged from the packaging unit by lever effects, but only through purposeful manipulation by the user of the packaging unit. For this packaging unit according to the invention, three alternative embodiments are provided, each of which performs its function independently, but can also be combined amongst each other.

In a first embodiment of the first aspect of the invention, the packaging unit comprises at least one banderole, which is disposed substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of the bottles and comprises all bottles together. By means of this banderole, a deflection of particular bottles from the packaging unit is effectively avoided. Thus, only the disposition of the bottles in the bottle carrier eventually allows an envelopment of the bottles by the banderole, since by the use of a banderole alone, the bottles would always align into a point symmetric manner, and thus e.g. an arrangement of six bottles in two rows with three bottles each could not be realized. The bottle carrier and the banderole thus form two mounting points, which are disposed remote from each other, for each bottle, so that no bottle can be deflected relative to the longitudinal axis of the bottle towards the outside out of the packaging unit.

Advantageously, the banderole envelops the bottles with a preload, so that the bottles cannot not only be deflected to the outside, but also not to the inside into the packaging unit. By means of this preload, furthermore, a pressure is built up within the bottles. Thus also bottles made from plastic, which typically comprise a very thin material thickness and thus little stability of their own, can also be stacked without problems in such packaging units, when the liquid received in the bottles is provided without gas, in particular without carbonic acid. Bottles filled with such liquids by themselves can be deformed in all directions. Therefore a direct stacking is not possible for static reasons. Such bottles thus had to be provided with stable surrounding packaging material, e.g. bottle cases or cardboard. By means of the banderole, which contacts under preload, thus thin walled bottles with a gas free liquid are deformed, so that a further deformation by means of vertical forces is substantially impossible. By means of the preload of the banderole thus a vertical stabilization of the particular bottles is performed, so that the packaging unit also obtains sufficient static stability in case of gas free liquids and bottles with very thin walls, whereby stacking a plurality of packaging units on top of each other is facilitated in a simple manner.

In case the bottles within the packaging unit do not directly contact each other, thus when they would be deflected by the banderole from the vertical towards the inside into the packaging unit, an intermediary layer can be disposed between the bottles in an advantageous manner, which is preferably made of cardboard or plastic, in particular made of a foam material. By means of this intermediary layer which is preferably disposed at the level of the banderole between the bottles, a deflection of the bottles towards the inside into the packaging unit is effectively avoided.

By means of such an intermediary layer, also an effective damping of the bottles can be provided, so that in case of glass bottles, no fracture can occur due to collisions of the bottles.

In an advantageous manner, the banderole is provided as an enveloping plastic band, in particular made of polypropylene, polyethylene, or polyethylene regenerate, wherein the lateral ends of the enveloping band are preferably fixated to each other, in particular welded or glued. Thereby, a particularly simple and cost effective manufacture of the packaging unit is facilitated, in particular also when the banderole envelops the bottles with a preload.

Thus, the banderole is preferably provided as an advertising medium and covers in particular a substantial portion of the cylindrical body of each bottle. Furthermore, it is advantageous, when the banderole is disposed in the lower third of the bottles, in particular in the portion of the bottoms of the bottles, since then due to the leverage effect a deflection of bottles is avoided most efficiently.

In a preferred embodiment, the bottles comprise a stop surface, or an enveloping surface around their circumference, in particular in the form of a recess or shoulder, wherein the banderole is then e.g. received in the recess, or contacts at the shoulder. By this measure, the position of the banderole around the bottles is exactly predetermined and fixated, so that the position of the banderole does not change, also while transporting the packaging units.

According to the second alternative of the first aspect of the packaging unit according to the invention, a tray is provided, which comprises a receiver for the bottoms of the bottles, wherein the receiver comprises contact surfaces above the bottoms of the bottles, and the contact surfaces surround all bottles on the outside at least with reference to the packaging unit and thus at least partially around the circumference of each bottle. It is assured also by this that the bottles cannot be deflected along their longitudinal axes out of the vertical and out of the packaging unit.

Preferably, thus the contact surfaces are provided, so that the bottles are directly enveloped, in particular under a preload, thus the contact surfaces contact the bottles. In a particularly preferred manner, the contact surfaces are provided so that each particular bottle is at least partially enveloped, so that it is substantially fixated against lateral deflection on the tray. Thus, the bottles are secured relative to a deflection from the packaging unit and also from a deflection into the packaging unit, so that no larger lever forces can be transferred to the connection between bottle and bottle carrier and thus no bottles can be disengaged from the packaging unit. In a particularly preferred manner, the tray comprises at least one recess at its bottom side, which is formed corresponding to the upper shape of the packaging unit, thus corresponding to the bottle carrier and to the bottles received therein. Thereby, packaging units formed by trays not only can be stacked on top of each other, but the particular packaging units can be positioned relative to each other in a particularly simple manner.

According to a third alternative of the first aspect of the present invention, the bottle carrier comprises contact surfaces, which envelop all bottlenecks of the received bottles externally at least with reference to the packaging unit and thus at least partially around the circumference of each bottleneck. Thereby, at least a deflection of the bottles from the vertical and out of the packaging unit is avoided. Preferably, the contact surfaces directly contact the bottlenecks in particular under a preload.

In a particularly preferred manner, the contact surfaces are provided as collars, which extend downward from the receivers of the bottle carriers, with reference to the carrier bar and which envelop the bottlenecks at least partially.

According to another aspect of the invention, which can be used by itself, or in combination with the above described alternative embodiments, at least between the bottle carrier and a cap of a bottle received therein, coupling elements are provided, which are configured, so that they correspond to each other, so that at least against the opening direction of the cap, a contact between the coupling elements can be formed. By means of this embodiment, the cap of a bottle can be provided within the packaging unit in a simple and convenient manner, so that the bottle to be opened is rotated against the opening direction of the cap within the packaging unit, wherein due to the stop between the coupling element of the cap and the coupling element of the bottle carrier, the cap is exposed to a torque in its opening direction and is opened thereby. Due to the fact that the user does not have to rotate the cap relative to the bottle anymore, but rotates the bottle relative to the packaging unit, a large torque can be transferred to the cap in a particularly comfortable manner, so that the cap can be disengaged from the bottle in a much simpler manner, than before.

In a preferred embodiment, the bottle carrier comprises bars integrally formed at the carrier body, which extend vertically upward from the upper side of the carrier body, and the screw caps each comprise a collar shaped protrusion. In an advantageous manner, the bars are directly disposed at the clip shaped receivers of the bottle carrier. In order to assure free rotation of the bottle relative to the bottle carrier, a sliding ramp can be provided at one of the coupling elements, which allows the corresponding coupling elements of the bottle carrier and of the cap to slide pat one another in the opening direction of the screw cap. In this manner, a particularly simple azimuth positioning of the bottle within the bottle carrier is possible, so that the label of the bottle is positioned relative to the bottle carrier in a manner that facilitates advertising. When the position of the print, or of the label of the bottle can be adjusted relative to the coupling element of the cap of the bottle in the production process, it can however also be provided that the coupling elements are part of a spline connection, and stops are provided in opening direction and also against the opening direction of the cap, which prevent a rotation of the bottle relative to the bottle carrier without opening the cap.

The banderole and also the tray and the contact surfaces of the carrier bodies for the bottlenecks form a rotation hindrance for the bottles relative to the bottle carrier. Thus, a rotation of the bottles and thus of the labels and imprints of the bottle, which are aligned for advertising efficiency, is substantially hindered, so that the packaging unit always presents itself to the viewer in its intended configuration. In particular by means of the banderole wrapped around the bottles with a preload, but also by contact surfaces of the tray, or of the bottle carrier contacting the bottles under a preload, unintended accidental rotation of the bottles relative to the bottle carrier can be avoided even more efficiently.

According to a third embodiment of the present invention, a packaging unit is provided, comprised of a bottle carrier and bottles, wherein each bottle receiver of the bottle carrier is provided with a seal, which indicates the removal of the associated bottle from the packaging unit. By means of this seal, a quality assurance of the packaging unit is assured by indicating to the user in a unique manner, when a bottle, which was initially included in the packaging unit, was removed or exchanged.

In a particularly preferred manner, the seal is then formed in the clip shaped receivers of the bottle carrier by two protrusions, each of which reaches into the bottle receiver at the end of each clip. The material of the protrusions, or their geometric shape is thus determined, so that they break, or irreversibly deform, when the bottle, which is initially inserted into the receiver, is removed.

In an advantageous manner, the banderole, the tray, and the bottle receiver of the packaging unit comprise an identifier in the form of an optical code, in particular a bar or color code, or an electronic code, in particular provided as a transponder. Thereby, storage, transportation and sale of the packaging unit can be optimized.

Further advantages, characteristics and particular features of the present invention are subsequently described with reference to the appended drawing, showing in:

FIG. 1 a first embodiment of a packaging unit, comprised of a bottle carrier, bottles received therein, and a banderole;

FIG. 2 a second embodiment of a packaging unit, comprised of a bottle carrier, bottles received therein, and a banderole;

FIG. 3 the packaging unit of FIG. 1 comprising an intermediary layer;

FIG. 4 a packaging unit comprised of a bottle carrier, bottles received therein, and a tray;

FIG. 5 a packaging unit, comprised of a bottle carrier, comprising stop elements for bottlenecks and bottles received therein;

FIG. 6 a detail view of a packaging unit, comprising coupling elements between bottle carrier and bottle cap;

FIG. 7 a detail view of a first embodiment of a packaging unit, comprising a seal of the bottle receiver of a bottle carrier; and

FIG. 8 a detail view of a second embodiment of a packaging unit, comprising a seal of the bottle receiver of a bottle carrier.

FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of a packaging unit 1 purely schematically, comprised of a bottle carrier 2, bottles 3 received therein and a banderole 4. The bottle carrier 2 comprises a carrier body 5 and a carrier bar 6, wherein clip shaped receivers 7 for the bottles 3 are received on both sides of the carrier body 5. In the clip shaped receivers 7, the bottles 3 are disposed with their bottlenecks are disposed with their bottlenecks, so that they are supported at the carrier body 5 by means of the annular flanges 9 disposed under the caps 8. By means of the clip shaped receivers 7, the bottles 3 are secured against a direct removal from the bottle carrier 2.

For receiving and fixating the banderole 4 at the bottles 3, they comprise a recess 10, into which the banderole 4 engages along part of the circumference of each bottle 3 and is thus fixated in its position. The banderole 4 is comprised of a polypropylene strip and disposed around the bottles under a preload, wherein the ends of the strip are welded or glued together. By means of the preload, the bottles 3 are pressed against each other and simultaneously in case of liquids without carbonic acid being included in the bottles 3, a pressure is imparted onto the bottles 3, which stabilizes the bodies of the bottles. Due to the fixation of the bottles 3 on both sides of the bottle carrier 2 and the banderole 4, the packaging unit 1 is stabilized, so that also in case of a stacking of several packaging units 1, the bottles 3 cannot pivot out of the packaging unit 1, so that lever forces act upon the receivers 7 of the bottles 3. Thereby it is assured, that the bottles cannot leave the packaging unit 1 in a simple manner.

In FIG. 2 a second embodiment of a packaging unit 20, comprised of a bottle carrier 2, bottles 21 received therein, and a banderole 22 is shown in a schematic manner. For reasons of clarity, identical components are subsequently designated with identical numerals. The bottles 21 differ from the bottles 3 of the first embodiment in so far, as no recess 10 is provided, but a stop 23, which prevents a sliding of the preloaded banderole 22 towards the bottoms of the bottles. The banderole 22 is sized much wider than the banderole 4 of the first embodiment, so that it can be used as a carrier surface for advertising. Certainly, also in the second embodiment, bottles with a recess can be used, wherein the recess is then either adapted to the width of the banderole 22, or the banderole 22 reaches into the recess with a side edge due to the preload, or contacts at a contact surface 23, when the recess is narrow.

In FIG. 3 in turn the packaging unit 1 of FIG. 1 is illustrated, wherein between the bottles 3 an intermediary cardboard layer 30 is disposed. This intermediary layer 30 on the one hand facilitates tolerance compensation between the bottles 3, and on the other hand serves as a damper element, which is particularly important in bottles 3, made from glass, so that the bottles 3 do not damage each other during the transportation of the packaging unit 1. The intermediary layer 30 can be easily manufactured by applying two cardboard pieces onto a connecting cardboard piece.

In FIG. 4, a packaging unit 40 for four bottle carriers 2 is depicted purely schematically with six bottles 3, respectively received therein and with a tray 41, wherein only two bottle carriers 2 with bottles 3 received therein are illustrated. In the tray 41, receivers 42 for the bottoms of the bottles 3 are disposed, which comprise contact surfaces 43, at which the inserted bottles 3 contact. In this case, the tray 41 thus takes over the function of the banderole, this means the fixation of the bottles 3 relative to the lateral movements. Also, this way, such packaging unit 40 can be very well stabilized, wherein the tray 41 is simultaneously used for presenting the sellable units, which are formed from the bottle carriers 2 and bottles 3, and which can be provided with particular advertising motives.

In FIG. 5 a packaging unit 50, comprised of a bottle carrier 51, comprising stop elements 52 for bottlenecks and bottles 3, received therein is illustrated schematically. The stop elements 52 of the bottle carrier 51 are disposed on two opposite sides at the bottle carrier 51, like the clip type receivers 7 of the bottle carrier 2 of FIG. 1 and comprise an enveloping surface 53 expanding away from the bottle carrier 51, wherein said enveloping surface is provided with an axial opening 54, through which the bottle 3 can be removed. The bottle surface 53 is adapted to the shape of the bottle 3 in the transition portion from the bottleneck to the cylindrical body of the bottle, so that the bottle 3 is enclosed by the enveloping surface 53 at its circumference, and thus a lateral fixation of the bottles 3 is performed by the bottle carrier 51. Also in this case, the packaging unit 50 is efficiently stabilized, so that particular bottles 3 cannot simply exit the packaging unit 50.

FIG. 6 shows a cutout detail view of a packaging unit 60, comprising coupling elements 61, 62 between the bottle carrier 63 and the bottle cap 64. The coupling element 61 is disposed at the bottle carrier 63, so that it forms a fixed resistance relative to a rotating movement of the coupling element 62 at the cap 64. When the bottle 3 is rotated clockwise, the coupling element 61 forms a stop for the coupling element 62, so that the cap 64 does not follow the rotation of the bottle 3, but so that it is twisted off from the bottle 3 in a further rotation of the bottle 3 in clockwise direction. This way, the bottles 3 can be removed from the bottle carrier 63 in an opened state, wherein the opening can be performed simply and without large force application.

In FIGS. 7 and 8, two alternative embodiments of a bottle carrier 70, 80 with a sealing 71, 81 of the bottle carriers 72, 82 are illustrated in a detail view. The sealing 71 of the bottle carrier 70 comprises V-shaped bar shaped tear-off members on both sides of the receiver 72, which tear off in the portion 73, when removing a bottle (not shown) disposed in the receiver 72. In the alternative embodiment according to FIG. 8, the bar shaped tear-off members 81 tear off in the portion 83. Due to the flexibility of the tear-off members 71, 81 provided by the V-shape and the acute angle mount of the tear-off members 71, 81 at the bottle carriers 70, 80, inserting a bottle into the receivers 72, 82 is possible in a simple manner. 

1-2. (canceled)
 3. A packaging unit, comprising: a bottle carrier and several bottles, wherein the bottle carrier comprises a carrier body and a carrier bar, wherein the carrier body comprises receivers at its rim for receiving the bottles, wherein the receivers are clips; at least one banderole disposed substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of the bottles, wherein the banderole envelops all of the bottles jointly with a preload; and an intermediary layer disposed between the bottles, wherein the intermediary layer contacts said bottles, and wherein the intermediary layer is made from a material selected from the group consisting of cardboard, plastic, and foam.
 4. The packaging unit according to claim 3, wherein the banderole is provided as an enveloping band made of a plastic material selected from the group consisting of polypropylene, polyethylene, and polyethylene regenerate.
 5. The packaging unit according to claim 4, wherein lateral ends of the enveloping banderole are mounted to each other.
 6. The packaging unit according to claim 3, wherein the banderole is an advertising carrier and covers a substantial section of the cylindrical body of each bottle.
 7. The packaging unit according to claim 3, wherein the banderole is disposed on the lower third of the bottles.
 8. The packaging unit according to claim 3, wherein the bottles comprise a stop surface around their circumference, wherein the stop surface is in the form of a recess, or in the form of a shoulder for receiving or contacting the banderole.
 9. The packaging unit according to claim 3, wherein a tray is provided, wherein the tray comprises a receiver for the bottoms of the bottles, wherein the receiver comprises stop surfaces above the bottoms of the bottles, and the stop surfaces envelop all bottles on the outside at least with reference to the packaging unit, and at least partially around the circumference of each bottle.
 10. The packaging unit according to claim 9, wherein the stop surfaces contact the bottles directly under a preload.
 11. The packaging unit according to claim 9, wherein the stop surfaces are provided, so that each single bottle is at least partially enveloped, so that it is substantially fixated against lateral deflection on the tray.
 12. The packaging unit according to claim 9, wherein the tray comprises at least one recess at its bottom, wherein said recess corresponds to the upper shape of the bottle carrier, and to the bottles received therein.
 13. The packaging unit according to claim 3, wherein the bottle carrier comprises contact surfaces, which surround all bottlenecks on the outside at least with reference to the packaging unit, and surround the circumference of each bottleneck at least partially.
 14. The packaging unit according to claim 13, wherein the contact surfaces contact the bottlenecks directly under a preload.
 15. The packaging unit according to claim 13, wherein the contact surfaces are provided, so that each particular bottleneck is at least partially enveloped, so that it is substantially fixated against lateral deflection in the bottle receiver.
 16. The packaging unit according to claim 3, wherein the bottle carrier comprises a first coupling element for at least one bottle, and a cap of each bottle comprises a corresponding second coupling element, wherein a stop can be formed between the first and second coupling elements at least against the opening direction of the cap.
 17. The packaging unit according to claim 16, wherein the bottle carrier comprises at least one bar integrally formed with the carrier body, which extends vertically from the upper side of the carrier body, and the caps comprise a collar shaped protrusion.
 18. The packaging unit according to claim 17, wherein the bars are disposed at the receivers.
 19. The packaging unit according to claim 16, wherein the first and second coupling elements are components of a spline connection.
 20. The packaging unit according to claim 3, wherein each bottle receiver of the bottle carrier is provided with a sealing, which indicates a removal of the associated bottle from the packaging unit.
 21. The packaging unit according to claim 20, wherein the sealing is performed at the receivers by two protrusions, which respectively reach into the receiver at the ends of the receiver, wherein the protrusions break out of the receiver, or are irreversibly deformed, when removing the bottles.
 22. The packaging unit according to claim 3, wherein the banderole, the tray, or the bottle carrier comprises an identifier provided as an optical code selected from the group consisting of a bar code, a color code, and an electronic code. 